Triumphrat

ChazzyB · 07-17-2009, 10:24 AM

I put a pair of Osram Nightbreaker +90 bulbs into my girlie, ooh, perhaps 8 months ago. Absolutely brilliant light out of them. Now, I habitually ride with headlights on (dip beam) and last night I ventured out in the dark for the first time in a while (scary stuff). What I rapidly noticed is that the light I'm getting on dip beam is seriously degraded compared to that still available on main beam, which rarely gets used. The light is now yellow and weak, rather than very bright blueish-white. Should these bulbs, which ain't cheap, have degraded so quickly? Unless, <gulps>, I've got an electrical problem...

Any reccomendations for something else to try; with better longevity?

braindead0 · 07-17-2009, 10:47 AM

That seems really odd, as I understand it Osram bulbs are excellent quality.

That being said, most vehicles have poor wiring for the headlights although with the +90's there isn't any more current drain.

Did you ride previously with those bulbs and it was fine?

ChazzyB · 07-17-2009, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braindead0

Did you ride previously with those bulbs and it was fine?

They were fine when first installed. I've just Googled up some reports of people in cars complaining about the dip beam on Osram +90 bulbs - dip beam getting by far and away most use - being shot in 3 months! I also found the text of a letter allegedly from a techie at Osram explaining that vehicle voltage for them is ideally 13.2V and if run at 13.9V, will halve the bulb life. I shall have my meter out this evening and wave it at a Tiger. 13.9V sounds rather like the sort of regulated voltage I'd expect to see across the battery when running...

braindead0 · 07-17-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChazzyB

They were fine when first installed. I've just Googled up some reports of people in cars complaining about the dip beam on Osram +90 bulbs - dip beam getting by far and away most use - being shot in 3 months! I also found the text of a letter allegedly from a techie at Osram explaining that vehicle voltage for them is ideally 13.2V and if run at 13.9V, will halve the bulb life. I shall have my meter out this evening and wave it at a Tiger. 13.9V sounds rather like the sort of regulated voltage I'd expect to see across the battery when running...

Don't check at the battery, unless you're upgraded your lighting circuit their will be some losses (potentially a lot). Check at the bulb with the engine running and the battery fully charged (ride it around for a while perhaps).

As I understand it halogen bulbs will also have a shorter life if not run at high enough voltage. The most likely situation is that the voltage at the headlight is less that optimal due to voltage drop in the wiring.

PeteH · 07-17-2009, 11:38 AM

For the last 12 months I`ve had ALL Ride H4 Xenon Mega Whites fitted, some that were bought by son for his car. They still give off a brilliant light even in the dark and they were only £4.99 a pair

spendo · 09-01-2009, 02:06 AM

halogens will run a lot brighter at higher voltages.
but will have a lot shorter life.
if you want to max your voltage at the bulbs, install a pair of relays at the bulbs, fed by a big wire from the battery (fused of course).
i prefer brighter light and dont mind replacing bulbs a bit more frequently, but i run a pair of standard type halogens at 55 /100 watts
ts